Bowling pin conditioner



Dec. 15, 1964 A. J. COHEN BOWLING PIN CONDITIONER 4 Sheets-Sheet I Filed Feb. 4, 1965 INVENTOR. ABRAI-MM J. 60HE'N A TMRWEX Dec. 15, 1964 A. J. COHEN 3,160,901

BOWLING PIN CONDITIONER Filed Feb. 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'KNVENTOR ABRAHAM J COHEN Dec. 15, 1964 A. J. COHEN 3,160,901

BOWLING PIN CONDITIONER Filed Feb. 4, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM J. COHEN A TTOPNEX .Dec. 15, 1964 Filed Feb. 4, 1963 A. J. CO'HEN BOWLING PIN CONDITIONER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM .Z COHEN .4TTORNEY 3,160,961 BQWLING PEN CONDITIONER Abraham 3. Cohen, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to dports Arenas, inc, Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 256,924

12 Claims. (Cl. 15-4} This invention relates to a device for conditioning bowling pins, and more particularly concerns a device for cleaning bowling pins, such device also including means for refinishing and refacing the bottom inserts on such a pins.

Bowling pins must be periodicaHy reconditioned to maintain the same in good order. Such reconditioning operations primarily involve cleaning the pins to remove dirt or other encrustations of foreign matter, or may involve removing the surface lacquer usually applied to such pins to allow the pins to be relacquered. Also, worn United States Patent or I a if I Patented Dec. 1 1964v Such chucking means comprises a cup shaped member 12 having an axially extending boss 13 which is bored to receive the outer end of a shaft 14 of an electric motor, 15 and fixed thereto by a set screw 14a. The cup shaped 7 housing 20. Housing is supported at its opposite inserts on the bottom of the pins may have to be removed to permit replacement with new inserts; and such new inserts may have to be refaced to make sure that the bottom surface of the insert is truly at right-angles to the longitudinal axis of the pin. 7

Such conditioning operations are usually performed almost entirely by hand, which not only leads to very high cost pin maintenance, but also leaves large numbers of pins out of possible use because of the low rate of conditioning the pins with little or no assistance from mechanical devices.

While pin cleaning devices have been proposed, such .devices do not materially increase the speed of the pin conditioning operations, the devices are bulky and made up of a large number of parts, and are relatively expensive. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved bowling'pin conditioning device, which is compact and made up of a minimum number of parts; is relatively inexpensive and is easily and rapidly operated so as to show a relatively high rate of production.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bowling pin cleaning device which includes cleansing and drying elements which automatically operate in succession.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for conditioning bowling pins which includes means .for rotating a pin about its longitudinalfaxis, together with means operative to clean and dry the surfaces of the pin,

or alternatively to refinish and/or reface the bottom portion of "the rotating pin. 1

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pin conditioning device having multiple pin conditioning functions, which is of compact form permitting the same to be used in confined locations, such device bein adapted for stationary or mobile installations.

Other objects of this invention will in part'be obvious and in part hereinafter'pointed out."

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevational view with some parts in section, of a bowling pin conditioner emthe drawings and particularly to ends by members 21, 22 upstanding from base member 11. Bearing sleeves 19a within housing 20 support shaft 19, which shaft projects rearwardly and outwardly of an opening 23 in the rear support member 22. The terminal portion of shaft 19 is bifurcated ,as at 24 to receiv'ethe'rein the forward end of a lever 25 which is fulcrurned on a support block 26 upstanding from base member 11, by a pivot pin 27.

The forward end of lever 25 is formed withfan e'lod- I gated'opening 28 to freely pass a pivot pin 29 to connect.

said lever 25 with the bifurcated portion 24 of shaftf1 9 whereby said shaft 19 and the center ISmaybe retracted to disengage the same from the usual centerv recess R in the base of bowling pin B, upon pivoted movement of lever 25in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 27;

The front support member 21 is formed with an opening 30 which registers with the forward open end of housing 28 to pass therethrough' the forward end of shaft 19.' Support member 21is formed "with a horizontal slot 31 extending radially from the opening 30 to the side edge thereof, as shown in FIG. '5. to provide a split collar about shaft 19. A vertically disposed locking screw 32 connects the split collar portions, extending transversely of slot 31 for threaded reception into threaded recess 33. a A handle 32a extending from the upper end of locking screw 32 permits the same to be turned in directions to loosen or tighten the split collar sections,

thereby allowing shaft 19 to be locked into selected longi V tudinal positions thereof.

Shaft 19 is urged to the left, looking at FIG. 1, to bring center 18 into engagement with recess R of pin B, by

means of a helical spring34 disposed abouta reduced rear end portion '35 of shaft 19, theforward' end of said spring 34 abutting a shoulder 35a on shaft 19 and the rear end of said spring abutting an inner wall surface portion of rear support "member. 22. 'Thus, 1ever 25 may be manipulated to retract center 18 when a bowling pin 13 is to be inserted into the chucking means or removed therefrom.

As the chucked bowling pin B .is rotated about its A opposed shoe members 36, 37, which may be formed of sheet metal or the like, are mounted on base member 11; the upper member 36 being arranged for pivoted movement about a pivot point at one end thereof, towards and away from upper, surface portions of the bowling FIG. 1, 10 designates a bowling pin conditioner embody ing the invention. The same comprises an elongated fiat basemernber: 11 'uponfgwhich is located pin chucking means for mounting 'a bowling pin Bfor rotation about its longitudinal axis. 1

pin B, while the lower member 37 is arranged for spring" I biasedmovementtoward .the longitudinal axis ofthe bowling'pin B to uniformly engage opposed lower surface portions of's aid bowling pin B.

Theupper shoe 'member' 36 is curved longitudinally;

thereof to complement the curvature of bowlingpin 'B and apad 38' of steel wool or other abradant mat rial is secured to the underside thereof. Apair oftransverse, members 39 are secured to the outer surface portions of shoe member 36 at the head end, and mid'body pot Means is provided for displacing the lower shoe member 37, which is also curved along its length to comple ment the curvature of the bowling pin B andcarries a wiping pad 47 on its top surface, away from the bottom pin B to a stop. The lever 25 may then be operated to retract center 18, thus allowing the bowling pin B to be removed from the chucking means and to permit another bowling pin to be inserted in its place for a repetition of the cleaning operations described above.

Pin conditioner 10 also includes means for removing the plastic insert I usually mounted on the base of a bowling pin B, when said insert'is worn and requires replacement. To this end a pair of cutter knives 60, 61 aredisposed for longitudinal movement toward the base insert I while the bowling pin B is rotating in its chucking portions of the bowling pin B when the top shoe member 7 36 is in its lowered, operative position; and vice versa, to allow the lower shoe member 37 to be raised to its operative position when the upper shoe member 36 is pivoted away from the bowling p'in B to its inoperative position. 1

'To this end, a cross plate 48 is secured to the underside of the bottom shoe member 37 at the head end thereof.- Plate 48 is formed with openings at the opposite ends thereof to. pass the upper ends of bolts 49 upstanding from base member 11; helical springs on said bolts 49 as -at 50 biasing the plate 48 upwardly toward the longitudinal axis'of the bowling pin B, Similarly, a cross plate 51 is secured to the underside of the bottom shoe member 37 'at a mid body portion thereof, said'plate '51 also being mounted on'upstanding bolts 52 fixed to base member 11 and having helical springs 53 on said bolts 52 for biasing the plate 51 upwardly, thereby biasing'the lower shoe member 37 to bringythe pad 47 thereon into contact with the lower surface portions of bowling pin B. f

To downwardly displace said shoe member 37 against the bias of springs 50, .53; a pair of arms 54 are fixed at their upperends to the outer ends of the forward "transverse member 39 for conjoint pivoted movement gtherewith; said arms 54 depending toward cross plate 48 and having rollers 55 mounted inthe lower ends thereof for abutting said cross plate '48 when shoe member 37 is pivoted to its operative position. Similarly, a-pair of arms 56 depend from the outer ends of trans- .verse member 40 and'terminate at their lower ends in rollers 5.7 which abut cross plate 51 when shoe member 36 is moved to its operative position, thus downwardly displacing the lower shoe member 37 toia position spaced from the lower portions of the bowling .pin B, as indicated in FIG. l. I I

.Microswitch means generallyindicated at 58 is mounted on base member 11, being connected in the circuit of motor for'controllingthe same. Microswitch means 58 "includes an operating 'arm 59 whichis positioned for engagement with depending arm 54 .on shoe member 36, whereby as shoe m'emb en36 is broughttinto operative engagement with bowling pin; B, switch. 58 is actuated As shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 6, knives 60, 61 are held in longitudinal slots 62, 63 formed in a cutter carriage 64 and locked in place by set'screws 65. Slots 62, 63 are on opposite sides of carriage 64 and in vertically displaced relation, as shown in FIG. 3. Carriage 64 which includes a rearwardly extending tail portion 65 of reduced thickness, is slidably mounted on a block 67.- The longitudinalmovement of carriage 64 is guided by lateral flange portions 68 extending from the bottom portion thereof, andrabbeted guide members 69, 69a which are atfixed to opposite sides of block 67.' Carriage 64 is'formed with a through central opening 70 which freely passes the front end .of shaft 19 so that carriage 64 may be advanceda'nd retracted without interference with shaft 19.

A lever arm 71 is pivoted at'its outer end on fixed guide member 69, as at 72. Lever arm 71 is pivotally through arm 59 to energize the motor 15 so as to rotate the chucked bowling pin'B. Cleaning solution may be sprayed on the pad 38 to facilitate the cleaning operation,

' When the bowling pin B has been cleaned by holding a handle means 41 in its proper position to actuate switch means 58 and to dispose shoe member 36 in its operative position; handle means 41 is raised to a predetermined position which moves shoemember 36 away from the bowling pin B, but still leaves the switch means 58 in its on position to continue rotation of the bowling pin B. At this tirneythe lower shoe member 37 is'spring biased upwardly so that its pad '47.is brought into wiping relation to the surface of the rotating'bowling pinB, to com lete "the cleaning operation.

' The handle 41'is then moved to a positionwherein switch means '58lis acauated to its offposition'and to thus de-energize motor 15, bringing the rotating bowling connected .to'the tail portion 65 of carriage 64 by a pin 73 which extends through an enlarged opening in an intermediate portion of the lever arm and is threaded into a recess 74 in tail portion 65.

It will be apparentfrom a consideration of FIG. 2 that lever arm 71 may be pivoted in a clockwise direction to advance carriage 64 and its cutter knives 60, 61 into cutting engagement with insert I as the bowling pin B rotates and thus cut an annular groove in said insert I, as indicated in the dotted lines in FIG. 2, which in effect removes. the worn annular insert and allowing a new insert I to be wedged into the annular groove in the base of bowling pin' B for receiving the same.

Means is also provided for'refacing the insert I when necessary, 'to insure proper positioning of the bowling pin B when the same is spotted in the alley. To this end, a cutter knife 75 is movably mounted on block 67 for radialmovement toward and away from the insert I, as shown in FIGS. 2; 3. Knife 75 is mounted in a slot 76 formed in a carriage 77' mounted on top of a carriage block 78 by a screw 79. A set screw 80 fixes knife .75 in slot 76.

Carriage block 78 is slidably mounted on the forward face 67a of block-67 by means of afmember 81 of T shaped section which is secured to an inner rabbeted portion 78a of block 78. Rabbeted guide members'82, 83 fixed to block face 67a receive the member 81 therebetween, as shown in FIG. 4, for relative guided movement of block 78. A lever "arm 84 is pivoted on guide member 83 by a pivot screw 85 and a spacer collar86. Lever arm 84 is connected to carriage block 78 by a screw 87 passing through an enlarged opening 88 in the lever arm 84 and threaded into a recess 89 in block portion 78a.

The lever arm 84 may be pivoted on screw 85 to advance carriage 78 and move cutter'knife 75 radially of the insert 1 on bowling pin B to accuratelyface the same and leave the faced surface at right angles to the axis of the bowling pin B. The carriage 77 may be adjusted on its block 78 by means of screw 79 to bring the cutter knife 75 in adjusted relation to the insert I todetermine the depth of cut or to compensate for slight differences in the length of the chucked bowling pin B. p Whe'n'thechucked bowling pin'B is to be processed by gular position which leaves switch 58in its on position so that motor '15 may rotate the chucked pin B. The shoe IE? 36 is held in such slightly raised position and away from the rotating pin B by the abutment of rollers 55 relative to the rear portions of plate 48, which also is effective to slightly space the forward portions of the lower shoe 37 from the rotating pin B.

The rear portions of lower shoe 37 are slightly displaced from the rotating pin by temporarily depressing plate 51 on bolts 52 and retaining the plate in its depressed position by inserting c shaped spacer members, not shown, between the heads of bolts 52 and the plate 51. When the cutting operations are completed, the C shaped spacer members are removed and the shoe 36 may be manipulated in the manner described above for cleaning and drying the pins B disposed in the chucking means.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spiritthereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described, shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for conditioning bowling pins comprising a base, means on said base for releasably mounting a bowling pin for rotation about its longitudinal axis while horizontally disposed, means for rotating said pin, first shoe means movably mounted on said base for movement into and out of engagement with surface portions of said rotating pin, second shoe means movably mounted on said base and in opposed relation to said first shoe means for movement into and out of engagement with said rotating pin, cleaning means on the inner surface of said first shoe means, wiping means on the inner surface of said second shoe means, and means on said first shoe means engageable with said second shoe means upon the movement of said first shoe means into contact with said rotating pin for moving said second shoe means out of contact wit said rotating pin.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said first shoe means is pivotally mounted on one end thereof on said base, and including resilient means for urging said second shoe means uniformly throughout the length thereof toward the surface of said rotating pin, whereby said second shoe means is independently biased to bring the wiping means thereon into contact with the surface of the rotating pin when said first shoe means is moved out of engagement with said rotating pin.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein said rotating means comprises an electric motor, switch means for controlling said motor, and means on said first shoe means for actuating said switch means in a predetermined position of said first shoe means.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein said pin rotating means comprises an electric motor having a horizontally disposed shaft, and said bowling pin mounting means comprises a cupped member mounted on said motor shaft for receiving therein the head portion of saidbowling pin, longitudinally slidably center means mounted on said base for engaging the base of said bowling pin, means for retracting said center means for disengaging said bowling pin, and spring means. for. urging said center means to its bowling pin engaging position.

' 5. A device for cleaning bowling pins comprising a base, chuck means on said base for rotatably mounting a bowling pin for rotation about its longitudinal axis while horizontally disposed, said chuck means comprising a cupped'member forreceiving the head portion of said bowling pin and center means for engaging the base portion of said bowling pin, motor means for rotating said cupped member, a pair of shoe members in opposed relamovement toward and away from said bowling pin, means 6 for resiliently urging the other of said shoe members for independent movement into uniform contact with said bowling-pin, and means extending fromone of said shoe members toward the other of said shoe members and operative upon engagement therewith to move one of said shoe members away from said bowling pin in response to movement of the other shoe member toward said bowling pin.

6. A device for cleaning bowling pins comprising chuck means for mounting the opposite ends of a bowling pin for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof, means for rotating the chucked pin, an elongated shoe member, means for pivotally mounting one end of said shoe mem-' ber adjacent the chuck means at one end of the chucked pin whereby said shoe member may be moved between a first position in which the longitudinal axis thereof is angularly related to the longitudinal axis of the chucked pin to allow the pin to be moved into and out of engagement with said chucking means, and a secondposition in which the longitudinal axis of said shoe member is substantially parallel to the-longitudinal axis of the chucked pin, surface treating means on the inner, surface of said shoe member for contacting surface portions of the chucked pin uniformly throughout the length thereof during the rotation of said chucked pin and when said shoe member isin the second position thereof, a second shoe member of a sectional configuration complementary to the surface configurationof a bowling pin, surface treating fmeans on the inner surface of the second shoe member,

means for resiliently mounting said second shoe. member for biased movement thereof uniformly toward the longitudinal axis of said chuck means for bringing the treating means on said second shoe member into contact with the surface of the chucked pin, and coacting means on said shoe members for displacing said second shoe member awayfrom the longitudinal axis of said chuck means in response to movement of said first shoe member to its respectively opposed to surface portions of said bowling pin, surface treating means on the inner surface of each shoe member for contacting surface portions of, said pin, means for mounting one end of one of said shoe members at a point adjacent one end of said chuck means for pivot! edmovement toward and away from the chucked pin, resilient means for mounting the other of said shoe members for uniform biased movement toward the longitudinal axis of said chuck means, said last mentioned mounting means including abutment means, and depending means on said'one shoe member for engaging said abutment means to displace said, second shoe member away from the longitudinal axis of said chuck means as said one shoe member is moved toward the longitudinal axis of said chuck'means. I

8. A device as in claim 7 wherein said rotating means comprises an electric motor, switch means for controlling said motor, said depending means on said one shoe memher being operative to engage said switch means for actu-- ating the same upon movement of said one shoe member in one direction.

9. A device for conditioning bowling pins comprising 7 a base, chuck means-on said base for mounting the opposite ends ofa horizontally disposed bowling pin for rotation about the longitudinalaxis thereof, electric motor means" for rotating the chucked bowlingpi n, switch'mea'ns V for controlling said motor means, shoe means mounted on said base for movement to engage the rotating bowling pin, cutter means on said base arranged for movement e into and out of engagement with the rotating bowling pin, and means on said shoe means engagable with said switch means for actuating said switch means, said shoe longitudinally in a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidchuck means whereby said cutter means is operative to engage the base of, said rotating bowling pin to cut an annular groove therein.

11. A device as in claim 10 wherein said cutter means (3 V w; I chucked pin whereby said shoe member maybe moved between a first position in which the longitudinal axis thereof is angularly related to the longitudinal axis of the chucked pinto allow the bowling pin to be moved into and out of engagement with said chucking means, and a second, position iu which the longitudinal axis of said shoe member is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chucked pin, surface treating means on .the inner surface of said shoe member for contacting surface portions of the chucked pin uniformly throughout the length thereof during the rotation of said chucked pin and when said shoe member is in the second position thereof, means for controlling said rotating means, and means operative to actuate said control means to render said rotating means operative in response to movement of said shoe member to the second position thereof.

includes carriage means for moving said cutter means in a shoe member adjacent the chuck means at one end of. the 7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany July 19, 1926 

1. A DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING BOWLING PINS COMPRISING A BASE, MEANS ON SAID BASE FOR RELEASABLY MOUNTING A BOWLING PIN FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS WHILE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID PIN, FIRST SHOE MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID ROTATING PIN, SECOND SHOE MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID FIRST SHOE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROTATING PIN, CLEANING MEANS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID FIRST SHOE MEANS, WIPING MEANS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND SHOE MEANS, AND MEANS ON SAID FIRST SHOE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SECOND SHOE MEANS UPON THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST SHOE MEANS INTO CONTACT WITH SAID ROTATING PIN FOR MOVING SAID SECOND SHOE MEANS OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID ROTATING PIN. 